Visibility is one of the biggest challenges for new entrepreneurs.
I hear from so many people that they really WANT a certain result, but they aren’t willing to do the VISIBLE work to get that result. (The behind the scenes stuff? Don’t get me wrong – they’re all about hustling in that aspect, but getting it out there? So much more challenging!)
When it comes to Facebook posts, livestreams, Youtube videos, consistent Instagram content, asking for the sale….getting visible is a HUGE challenge for so many new entrepreneurs.
After creating six figures in my first year of business and growing from there, I’ve learned first hand that getting visible IS the key to growing your business. It’s not just smoke and mirrors. HOWEVER, I’ve also learned that it’s not enough to just talk about getting visible and what that visibility can do for your bank account.
We’ve got to talk about getting visible and putting yourself out there consistently…and in a way that feels GOOD.
It sounds simple enough, but there’s a problem with this — with visibility feeling good. In fact, there’s two problems with “getting visible”. Here’s what I mean:
Problem #1: Creating Stories
Visibility can be a bitch because of all the stories we tell ourselves around it. Because of all the reasons we make up to fear putting ourselves out there.
We ask questions like…
- Do I even have anything original to say?
- What will people think of me?
- What if I’m boring?
- What if someone says something mean or calls me out?
- What if don’t know as much as I think I know?
- What if I get rejected?
- What if someone judges me?
These stories are problems because they aren’t “true” (meaning these stories are based on false evidence) AND because most of these fears, or even all of these fears, are probably going to happen at some point anyway… no matter how dang amazing you are. Trust me, I’ve been there.
For example, there WILL be times where you feel totally unoriginal. (It happens to me plenty, even though I love to innovate and be different.)
There WILL be times where people judge you. You can’t control this. People will misinterpret what you’re trying to do or say and that’s ok. To be real, I got quite a bit of judgment around the Lit Up Partnership, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m sure you can find an example of your favorite boss lady who received judgement or criticism or misinterpretation for something she did or said?
REAL TALK: I’ve even gotten an email telling me I was a narcissistic b*tch from someone on my email list I didn’t even know. And I didn’t die. I laughed, reflected and deleted. It wasn’t nearly as crushing as I imagined it to be way back when.
There WILL be the certain posts or live streams that just don’t hit it out of the park. It’s no big deal. If you look on my YouTube channel at the first Periscopes I did, prepare to CRINGE with embarrassment at how boring I was (#flatpancake). Then, note how I left them up because it’s all part of the process. It’s part of our development and our journey.
People WILL say crappy things. The internet is an easy place for this to happen… For people to say things they’d probably never say in real life. But you get to choose your response, not protect yourself from it by never getting out there.
When it comes to moving through the fears we hold around visibility, we need to show up and take action anyways. It’s never as bad as we think it’ll be and the sooner we move through the easier it gets.
Plus, I can’t stress this enough: You are not alone. Anyone running a business and chasing a dream has felt this fear. The rejection. The doubt. The embarrassment. The criticism.
If fear is holding on to you, I encourage you to practice some serious self-care and push that comfort zone in a big way. You’ll be amazed at the peace on the other side.
Problem #2: Overcomplicating It
We tend to make getting visible complicated. We hold tunnel-vision and think we’ve got to operate under some arbitrary rules and regulations.
But what if….
- What if visibility could feel good?
- What if you didn’t have to livestream daily or post on Instagram five times a week?
- What if you don’t have to blog weekly or send a monthly newsletter out to your list?
- What if the best and next step to getting visible is to simply figure out what feels FUN?
Seriously, this is the problem with “getting visible”. We make it so damn serious.
Now, before we keep going, I do have to bring up one thing. There is a difference between FEAR and just plain not liking something. In other words, if you simply DO NOT enjoy being on video, if you’ve tried it a ton, if it just doesn’t showcase you in the best way or make you excited — then stop doing video. Ditch it from your visibility plan. Stop trying to be consistent via video.
On the OTHER hand, if you’re scared someone will judge how you look on video — that’s fear. That goes back to the above.
So, what do you enjoy doing? Which outlets feel good to you? I encourage you to ask these questions, because this is the first strategy in getting visible and creating a marketing plan that works with YOUR strengths.
For me personally, I love to write. So, when I wanted to start getting visible, written content was my go-to. I’ve expanded since then, but I always come back to written content, and it will always be one of the strongest cornerstones of my business because I flat out ENJOY writing.
What do you enjoy? What feels natural to you?
How do you like to communicate and talk about the things that light you up? Do you enjoy emails, texts, and writing out your thoughts and feelings? Do love conversations, talking, and connecting via Facetime?
All in all: If you ditched your fear, if you throw out the stories, if getting visible could actually be fun (and not all that complicated)….What might it look like? How might your marketing plan change?
What’s your biggest challenge related to visibility? How can you embrace a visibility plan that feels GOOD to you?